The Stone Symbol Analysis

The stone works as a brief but frank symbol of the settlers’ fear and the manner in which it can be weaponized. After Andy sees Gemmy speaking with two Aboriginal men, he goes to tell Barney about the matter, hoping to stir his excitement and earn his goodwill through their shared animosity towards the Aboriginal Australians. However, when Barney takes little heed of Andy’s story, Andy lies and says that the visitors also gave Gemmy a magical stone. The mysterious quality of the stone takes on a life of its own and stirs the whole settlement—aside from the McIvors—into a fearful frenzy about Gemmy and the Aboriginal Australians. In the same manner that a stone is harmless when left on the ground, so too are the settlers’ fears largely harmless when not acted upon. However, when some fool such as Andy decides to take advantage of those fears, effectively throwing the stone like a weapon, they becomes an actual threat—“It flew in all directions, developed a capacity to multiply, accelerate, leave wounds; and the wounds were real even if the stone was not, and would not heal.” The lie about the stone results in the settlers’ attack on Gemmy, and so serves as a symbol of the very real power of baseless fears.